Dictionary
Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.
Beltway bandit en · NOUN
Meanings
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(informal) A consulting or research company that mostly carries out work for US government departments or agencies.
He worked for a beltway bandit firm, doing engineering work. He computed trajectories on missiles... that kind of thing.
2001, Richard B. Schwartz, After the Fall, page 45:
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(informal) An employee of such a firm, especially a former employee of the firm's clients.
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(informal) A short-term money lender to contractors working for the US government but waiting for US congressional appropriations.
[He] turned out to be what is called a "Beltway bandit," lending money at short-term high (but legal) rates to government contractors low on cash who are awaiting congressional appropriation funding.
1999 July 1, Po Bronson, “Gen Equity”, in Wired:
Forms